Combination basket and pie rack



April 13, 1954 H. w. WHITMORE 2,675,289

COMBINATION BASKET AND PIE RACK Filed Feb. 11, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l RT.E 24 April 3, 1954 H. w. WHITMORE 2,675,289

COMBINATION BASKET AND PIE RACK Filed Feb. 11, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2TIE: 4 1:22:22? 23 r H a? ,1

IN VEN TOR.

Patented Apr. 13, 1954 COMBINATION BASKET AND PIE RACK Harland W.Whitmore, Kenosha, Wis., assignor to Motor Products Corporation,Detroit, Mich., a corporation of New York Application February 11, 1952,Serial N 0. 270,929

7 Claims. (Cl. 312--213) This invention relates generally to articleho1ding containers, and refers more particularly to improvements in wirebaskets of the type used, for example to support articles within acabinet.

One use for wire baskets embodying the features of this invention is inconnection with home freezer where it is advantageous to compactlyarrange a wide variety of food articles, and at the same time, provideeasy access to the articles. A wire basket constructed in accordancewith this invention may be supported within a home freezer cabinet forsliding movement to different positions so that articles containedwithin the cabinet below the basket may be conveniently reached. Alsothe interior of the basket is divided into separate top and bottomstorage spaces by a shelf or rack removably supported within the basketsubstantially midway between the top and bottom of the basket. Inaddition the top of the basket is open enabling insertionof the shelfinto and removal of the shelf from the basket. Also one side of thebasket is open throughout its area permitting easy acces to both of thestorage spaces in the basket while the latter is supported within thecabinet.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a closure for theopen side of the basket in the form of a wall of open Wire meshconstruction having the top edge hingedly supported on the basket foroutward swinging movement, and having means engageable with latch meanson the basket to hold the closure against accidental movement from itsclosed position.

The foregoing as well as other objects will be made more apparent asthis description proceeds, especially when considered in connection withthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a semidiagrammatic top plan view of a home freezer cabinetshowing my improved basket in assembled relation therewith;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the basket;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the basket shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an end elevational view of the basket shown in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of a removable shelf or rack for the basket;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6--G of Figure 5;

Figure '7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the latch meansassociated with the basket;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view of the basket showing the shelfor rack in place, and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of one corner of the basket.

Upon reference to Figure l of the drawings, it will be noted that thenumeral H3 designates a cabinet of the type commonly used for homefreezers and the numeral Ii indicates a storage container in the form ofa wire basket The top of the cabinet is open for substantially the fullarea of the cabinet to provide acces to the in terior of the cabinet andthe basket 1! is supported within the cabinet for sliding movement inthe direction of length of the cabinet. For this purpose a pair of guiderails 12 are respectively secured to the inner surfaces of opposite sidewalls of the cabinet and parts of the basket at opposite sides thereofseat on the rails. The rails 62 are usually located near the open top ofthe cabinet, and the depth of the basket II is preferably considerablyless than the depth of the cabinet so that a storage area of generouspro portions is provided below the basket. The arrangement is such thatarticles occupying the storage space directly below the basket i may beconveniently reached by merely sliding the basket i l along the railsii.

The basket 5 i has one side it completely open and comprises a bottomwall M, a rectangular bordering frame 5 at the top, a side wall itopposite the open side it, and connecting or end walls 17. The open sideI3 is normally closed by a wall It having its top edge hingedlyconnected to the frame l5 for outward swinging movement. All of thewalls of the basket are of a wire open mesh construction in order toenable free circulation of air through the basket and this is especiallyimportant in instances where the basket is used for the purpose ofstoring articles within a refrigerator or home freezer cabinet.

Each of the walls of the basket are formed of a number of strands ofwire spaced laterally from each other to provide opening of substantialarea and the wire strands are welded or otherwise permanently connectedto form a strong, durable structure. Also the bottom wall it, sid wall[5 and end walls H are connected together and to the frame 1'5 in amanner to provide an integral structure possessing substantialstability.

The frame I5 at the top of the basket has a side bar It which extendsalong the side wall it of the basket and is welded or otherwise securedto the wire strands forming this side wall. The opposite ends of theside frame bar it are respectively integrally connected to end bars 29which extend along the end walls H, and are welded or otherwise securedto the wire strands forming the end walls ll. As shown in Figures 2, 8and 9 of thedrawings the end. frame bars 20 are spaced laterallyoutwardly from the adja-- cent end walls I! of the basket I I and theupper ends of the wires forming the end walls ii are bent laterallyoutwardly to enable welding or joining the same to the end frame bars29. The construction is such that the end frame bars 29 form seats atthe top of the basket for engagement with the guide rails I2 in the.cabinet it.

The frame I5 also has a sidebar H which extends along the open side Itof the basket Ii at the top of the latter, and is welded or otherwisesecured to the upper endsotthe wire-strands 22 forming the closure orhinged wall it. The

opposite ends of the bar 2 I'pro-ject through openenable outwardswinging movement ofthe closure.

or wall It. Suitable enlargements 23 are provided on the extremities ofthe bar at at th'e outer sides of the end bars 2t, and projections 24.areformed' on the bar H at the inner sides of the end bars 22 to holdthe. closure or wall it in proper relationship to the open side of thebasket; Also as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings the ends of the framebars engaged by the hinge bar 2| are. ofisetupwardly with respect to theremainder of the bars 20inorder to provide a clearance between the hingebar 2| and the rails; I2 when the basket II is supported within thecabinet.

It will: be noted, from the foregoing that when the basket. II issupported in the cabinet in on the-rails I2, the open side iiland hingedclosure or wall I6 assume positions enabling the wall it to be swung toits open position while the basket is supported 011317116 rails l2. Thusthe basket II may be loaded and unloaded without removing the same fromthe cabinet 28. It will also be noted that the hinged connection betw enthe wall or closure, I 6' and basket enables swinging the closuretc-aposition where it overlies the top of the basket, and is thereby heldin. its open position while articles are inserted into or removed: fromthe basket.

It will further be noted from Figure 4 of the drawing that therbottomwall- I4 of the basket terminates short of, the hinged closure or wallI6, and that theresulting space is closed by an extension projectinglaterally inwardly from thebottom edge of the wall IS. The extension 25forms a continuation of the bottom wall I 4 of the basket I I in theclosedposition of the wall i 6,, and is formed by turning the bottomportions of the wires 22 laterally inwardly as at 25. As shown in Figure2, the extremities of the inturnecl portions 25 of. the wires 22 areconnected by a 'cross wire 2! which abuts the adjacent side of thebottom wall I4 in the closed position of the wall I6. Thus the accessopening actually extends for a short distance along the bottom of thebasket and unloading as well as loading of the basket is facilitated.

The wall I6 is held in its closed position by a U-shaped. latch member23 positioned midway between, the end walls i!v and having the legportions. 29 welded or otherwise secured to laterally spaced wiresforming a part of the bottom wall I of the, basket. The base, portion tl of the u-shaped latch member 28 is spaced laterally outwardly from thecross wire 2? and the leg portions 29 adjacent the base 30 are bent toform spring clips 3!. The clips 3! are fashioned to frictionallyengagethe wire- 21- as the closure or hinged wall I5" is swung to itsclosed position, and, are. shaped to. effectively latch the wall :6

.in its; closed position. Also the design of the clips 4 3I is such thatthe clips are released from the cross wire 21 in response to a forceexerted in an outward direction on the bottom of the wall It.

The interior of the basket is divided into top and bottom storage spacesby a wire rack or shelf 32 having a rectangular bordering frame 33. Therack or shelf32j; is insertable into and: removable from the basket IIthrough the topframe I5 of the basket, and is removably supported in thebasket on lengths of wire 35 which extend along the, end walls, IIImidway between the top and bottom walls of the basket. As shown inFigures 5 and'6rof the drawings, the shelf 32 has looped crosswires 36welded at the opposite ends to the adjacentside bars 31' of the frame33, and has longitudinally. extending laterally spaced wires 38 weldedto the cross wires 36. ends ofthe wires 38 extend beyond the end bars 39of the frame 33, and; are fashioned to provide downwardly directed hookstil. The hooks 40 are positioned torespectively engage the, wires 35,extending along. the end walls ll of the basket and coact with thelatter wires 3-5 to. removably support the shelf 32 on the basket. Theshelf frame 33 is smaller than the frame I5 and. hence may be readilyinserted into and. removed from the basket II. through-the top of thelatter..

When the rack or shelf 32 is. in assembled re lationship with 'thebasket, the storage spaces provided in the basket above and below theshelf are accessible through the open side I3 of the basket in the open.position of the closure I6.

The use of the rack or shelf 32 is especially ad'- vantageous ininstances where; it is desired to store such food articles as cakes andpies In this connection itwill be noted that food articles such as cakesand pies. may be stored within the basket without danger of bumping orotherwise disturbing the articles when loading or unloading the cabinet.Also the food articles stored within the basket may be convenientlyinserted into or removed from either or both the storage spaces throughthe open side of the basket without removing the latter from thecabinet.

What I claim. as; my invention is:

l. A. container for supporting articles. in a cabinet, comprising a,wire basket open at one side and having a bottom wall terminating. shortof the open side thereof, a side wall opposite the open side andconnecting walls atopposite ends of the side wall, a closure for theopen side of the basket in the form of a wall spaced laterally outwardlyfrom the. open side. of the basket and hingedly connected at. its topedge to the basket for upward swinging movement, and a wire extensionprojectin laterally inwardly from the bottom edge of the closure andforming a continuation of the bottom wall in the closed position of theclosure.

2. The container defined in claim 1 having a spring catch for releasablylatching the closure in its closed position.

A container for. supporting articles in a cabmet, comprising an openmesh wire baskethavmg one sidev open and having a bottom wall, a sidewall opposite the open side, and. end walls, supporting barsrespectively extending along the end walls at the top of the basket andprojecting beyond the open side of the basket, and bars spaced laterallyoutwardly from and respectively connected to the end walls providingsupports for slidably engaging laterally spaced guides, a closure forthe open side of the basket and having a side wall spaced laterallyoutwardly from the open side of said basket,-said closure having Theopposite a bottom wall extending laterally inwardly from the side wallthereof and forming a continuation of the bottom wall of the basket inthe closed position of said closure, and means hingedly connecting thetop of the side closure wall to the projecting ends of the supportingbars of the frame permitting upward swinging movement of the closure toa position in overlying relationship to the top of the basket.

4. The container defined in claim 3 wherein the closure is of open wiremesh construction and has a bar at the inner side of the bottom wallarranged to abut the adjacent side of the bottom wall of said basket.

5. The container defined in claim 4 comprising a spring catch supportedby one of said bottom walls for engagement with the other to hold theclosure in its closed position.

6. A container for supporting articles in a cabinet, comprising an openmesh wire basket open at the top and at one side, said basket havin endwalls, a side wall opposite the open side and a bottom wall terminatingshort of the open side of the basket, a wire mesh closure for the openside of the basket and having a wall spaced laterally outwardly from theopen side of the basket, said closure wall having an extensionprojecting laterally inwardly from the bottom edge thereof and forming acontinuation of the bottom wall of the basket, means hingedly connectingthe top of the closure wall to the end walls of the basket permittingupward swinging movement of the closure to its open position, a shelfinsertable into and removable from the basket through the open top ofthe basket in the closed positionof the closure, and means removablysupporting said shelf on the end walls of the basket.

'7. The structure defined in claim 6 wherein the shelf supporting meanscomprises lengths of wire secured to the end walls between the top andbottom of the basket, and projections on said shelf seated on thelengths of wire.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,009,451 Subert Nov. 21, 1911 1,073,138 Jones Sept. 16, 19131,904,297 Saunders Apr. 18, 1933 1,995,399 Reedy et al Mar. 26, 19352,315,595 Chappory Apr. 6, 1943 2,477,853 Baird Aug. 2, 1949

